Riverside – Discard Your Fear (Single)

Another single was released last week that I wanted to share with my readers. It comes from a band that I’ve yet to mention on my site, although I have mentioned the lead singer’s side project in the past. Polish progressive rock veterans Riverside introduced to the world their new single, “Discard Your Fear,” a hint of their much awaited album “Love, Fear, and the Time Machine,” which comes out later this year.

“Discard Your Fear” runs nearly seven minutes long, an atypical single coming from an atypical band. Although the song is as catchy as any pop single released nowadays, this song completely differs in its time signature changes, multiple bridge sections, and overall psychedelic sound. As most Riverside songs, the single heavily relies on its deep and prominent bass lines, which are played by singer Mariusz Duda. Not often are listeners able to hear the bass guitar clearly without higher quality speakers or headphones, but that isn’t the case in Riverside albums. Taking center stage, Duda’s grooves are Riverside’s signature, one that is a refreshing change to any style of rock.

Alongside the awesome bass are the remaining members of the band. The drum beats are simple but elegant, played by Piotr Kozieradzki. Both the keyboards and guitar are heavily effect-driven, adding to the psychedelic nature of the song. Lead guitarist Piotr Grudzinski plays a simple style of guitar, which absolutely reminds me of guitarists like David Gilmour and John Wesley of Porcupine Tree. Despite its simplicity, though, each picked note is executed to provide the greatest emotional response from the listener. Using more clean electric guitar than anything else in “Discard Your Fear,” Grudzinski is able to accurately portray the emotion of getting over fear as suggested in the song’s title. A wonderful performance by all four gentlemen.

The lyrics to the song, like many Riverside albums, are slightly obscure, and not because English isn’t their native language. Having written a saga of concept albums in the past, their latest album seems to fall in line. What it is, time will tell. What is gleaned from “Discard Your Fear” is conquering one’s fear, especially what is rooted from love. I love the song’s chorus, with its engaging feel of Duda shaking my shoulders to snap myself back to reality. In his tenor voice, he grabs my attention:

After listening to this song, I felt myself more excited about this release than their previous release “Shrine of New Generation Slaves.” I don’t know why, but their last album didn’t exhilarate me like any of their previous albums. This single has more of an atmospheric sound, which is believed to continue throughout the album. Duda has even quoted that the album is “more bright and less dark than the previous stuff.” I have optimism that “Love, Fear, and the Time Machine” will still touch upon some of the heavy riffs in “Anno Domini High Definition” and the nostalgic-sounding “Memories In My Head.” Although I can wish for Riverside to remake a prior album, it would not serve them justice as they continue to lead the way in the ever evolving sound of progressive rock. I am all for whatever they place in front of me.

Overall, the song is the perfect single to release off “Love, Fear, and the Time Machine.” Like most singles, its intention is to appeal to a massive audience while keeping diehard fans intrigued. Hearing comparisons to Steven Wilson and other accessible progressive rock artists, Riverside will be enjoyed by fans of the genre, with a chance at reeling in some curious listeners. Please support Riverside as they make their way from across the Atlantic Ocean to promote their upcoming album in the United States.album-review-steven-wilson-hand-cannot-erase|.

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